Can you believe that Christmas is only ten days away! Time is flying by and I am trying to hold on to this feeling as much as I can! I have always loved Christmas— and yes, I am that EXTRA person (as youngings say these days). To me, Christmas is about the birth of Baby Jesus, the most important even in humanity so why not celebrate it BIG!

Decorating for Christmas has always been a “Martha Stewart” affair for me keeping it sophisticated and usually in metallic tones— gold, silver, rose gold, etc. But for some reason, this year, I needed red. I think it is because I associate RED with HAPPY. And I think we can all agree with need more happy in the world. Not only that but my husband is of Norwegian descent and I really wanted a tree with a Nordic flavor. And with that in mind, I set out for the past few months to scout for ornaments that had that vibe. I also wanted to do a little vignette in our front porch, which is oddly shaped. but I made it work. For this décor I wanted a few elements:

• Plaid

• Rustic

• Vintage

• LOTS of red

And I think I accomplished everything I wanted. Since fall I had been looking for a few elements for my porch vignette that included Skotch plaid and wood elements especially wooden skis and a sled. I visited a few vintage stored in my areas and they were scouting for me. They even found me a pair of original 1950s Sears ice skates I did not know I needed! And they go perfectly! I love those ladies! And the finish look is truly everything I wanted! I added some natural greenery and

Indoors. our house is still going through a identity crisis since we got married three years ago. It is definitely not my style, but we agreed not to do anything to it because we will be building a new house next year, Lord willing. But we make it work. Which is why most of the indoor decorations are in the foyer which is where we place our Christmas tree.

When I was single, I always had a natural tree but a few years ago I wanted a flocked tree, and here we are :) As mentioned, red and Nordic was my initial inspiration, but with a twist of plaid, and I LOVE the final result.

The past two years we had a second tree with all the stuff my husband and the kids collected over the years, but after last year we decided not to put it up because the stepkids did not want to help. And last year after we put it up, nobody even turned it on but me. Thankfully, they loved this one. :)

Every Norwegian home must have a “nisse” or Norwegian gnome, and so we do! We also love the angel chimes, that are so traditional in Nordic homes. I just love listening to the sweet chimes.

One of the funniest thing about Christmas that my husband has discovered about me, is that I like my wrapping paper with a the same theme as the tree (I know— somebody stop me! lol). He is still learning about my nuances. lol.

But I think, this year what I am most excited about, is our Nativity. You see, three years ago I lost everything, including all the Christmas ornaments and decorations I amassed while I was stationed in Germany. It breaks my heart to think about it. But with our marriage we have started creating our own traditions and what will be heirloom ornaments some day. And we started this year with our family Nativity set from Willow Tree. We decided to with this one as we will be able to keep adding every year to it. And I really love how it has become the center of our Christmas this year. It truly is the perfect way to wrap up my little Christmas tour.

I may be joining these awesome ladies: Simple Saturdays, The Homemaking Party, Home Matters, Home Sweet Home, Gardens Galore, Home and Garden Thursday, Vintage Charm, The Scoop, Mosaic Monday, Home Sweet Home, Friday Bliss,Pink Saturday, Nature Notes, Dishing It & Digging It.